Anything But Easy
by biteoutoflife
Summary: Sequel to Not So Normal. As if growing up wasn’t hard enough, Max comes face to face with more challenges. Friends and foes become hard to separate, and as powers and intentions are revealed, her life flips upside down. FAX!
1. Two Months

**Chapter 1 – Two Months**

"C'mon, Max, it's not that big of a deal."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not. I would be more upset if it really mattered."

I didn't say anything. My eyes drifted to the whistling blades of grass stirred by the sudden wind.

"Really, it doesn't matter. It's just a broken window; I break them all the time. My mom hardly cares anymore. But how was I supposed to know that rewiring the control panel in the mini-helicopter would cause it to short circuit mid-air?"

"Oh." I sighed.

My reaction caused James to examine me critically. "We aren't talking about the same thing, are we?" he mused slowly, understanding where my thoughts had drifted.

I shrugged, brushing my bangs out of my eyes.

He sighed, too. "It's August — two months since Jeb and Ari have disappeared. I know it's been real hard on you, but you need to move on. Be glad that the police have found nothing instead of dead bodies. Everything's going to be okay."

That made me wince. The past two months had been extremely long. Two months of constant worry. Two months of talking to police, detectives, and those who were closest to my dad and half-brother. Two months of having everyone telling me that everything was going to turn out okay, that they'd find where they'd vanished to, that they would find out what had happened. I was so tired of people telling me that things were okay.

Because everything was spinning out of control.

"You're not helping."

He ran a frustrated hand through his strawberry blond hair. "Well, what do you want me to say? That you'll never see them again? That their dead bodies are floating in a river somewhere? The least you can be is optimistic."

The last thing I could be called was optimistic. "I know they aren't dead, but it's thinking about the other possibilities that have me freaked out."

"That's understandable, especially if Itex—"

"I _know_ Itex took them," I cut him off. "I have a theory about what happened that day."

"What do you think happened?"

I reclined against a giant oak. We were at James's house, in his front yard, relaxing on an extra hot summer day under the shade of green leaves. He lived in a neighborhood full of younger families that were enjoying the nice weather, just as we were. It was weird to watch as life goes on normally for others while mine kept getting weirder.

"I think that Jeb's phone had been tracked for a while, and when he'd received a call about allowing Fang and me to come over, Itex pounced on the opportunity. But on the way there, traffic was really bad and we got to the station late. By the time we got to his house, Itex had already been there. They were really upset about missing us. They would have waited, but my guess would be that Ari called 911 on sheer panic. The possibility of having to answer to the police made them scatter before we arrived. And it was obviously Itex who took them if all Jeb's records on them disappeared."

"Is that your theory or did the Voice tell you that?"

I grimaced; the Voice had been especially annoying these past two months. It only added to my stress. "Well, I didn't come up with that entirely on my own. Fang and I were able to put the pieces together with the note he found." I'd read that note many times after we fled from Jeb's house. Fang brought it with him and he gave it to me once we'd gotten home safely. It had basically said that they were pissed at missing the opportunity of meeting the "angel kids" they'd spent years to engineer. Too bad we would have been a major disappointment without wings.

"Ah, so you and Fang seem to have been getting very _close_ lately." He waggled his eyebrows speculatively.

"Ugh, _no_. How many times do I have to tell you that there's nothing between us." Okay, maybe I don't allow anything to happen between us, but he doesn't need to know that.

"Oh, c'mon, it's so clear. Fang always drooled you at school, or as well as Fang can drool over someone. He doesn't do that well."

I blushed at his words and looked away.

"Yeah, well, things are different now," I dismissed. "I told him to forget whatever feelings he has for me, so he's been real chill lately." I wasn't going to mention that I almost felt bad for telling him that. My own feelings had been so bipolar lately. Some days I wanted Fang to leave me alone. Some days I liked having his company. Stupid teenage hormones. We were never going to get this situation worked out.

He whistled softly. "Dang, I can't believe you got him to do that."

"You obviously underestimate my abilities, "I said with a smirk. "I can get Fang to do anything I want."

We laughed at how ridiculous that statement was.

A mail truck sputtered up the street and stopped in front of James's home. An older man with white hair and a friendly smile exited. James got up and met the man before the mail could be placed in its box.

"Hey, Pops," James greeted him.

"Afternoon, Iggy," the mailman returned. "Tell your mom I said 'hi'."

"I will." He sauntered back towards me while the mailman continued his route.

I raised an eyebrow. "Iggy?"

He shrugged. "What? It's a nickname. Iggy was the name of my old dog that died. We were so inseparable that everyone in my family started getting our names confused. So I'm Iggy."

"And how does the mailman know this and I don't?"

"He's my grandfather."

"Oh." So much for being friends.

"I should put this inside for my mom to see first when she gets home… before I tell her about the broken window."

I snorted. "Good luck with that conversation."

"I told you, she's so used to it that it hardly bothers her anymore. She has a good deal worked out with the window company because we're frequent customers." He chuckled to himself.

"Wow, that's pathetic," I laughed.

"You see, that's what you need to do. You need to relax more. Life is too short to spend all your time so tense and worried about everything."

"And what's the other option? Shooting toy helicopters through windows?"

"Hey! I thought I could make it fly faster."

I laughed and shook my head. See, I'm not completely hopeless. I still had my sense of humor, even if it was rather dry. It was times like these that made the past two months bearable. When I got tired of having fun with my family or Fang, I had a friend in James — now Iggy — to turn to. They were mostly escapes, but it did help ease the pain. But just a little.

After our jibes had calmed down, Iggy stretched and rose to his feet. It was crazy — he wasn't even fifteen yet, but he was already six feet tall. The same height as Fang, who had turned fifteen last month. It was also weird how similarly they were built: tall, thin, corded muscle. Much like my own build. But that was the way we were _designed_ to be. Which means that whoever had created Fang and me had similar plans for Iggy, too.

"Let's go inside; it's getting real hot out here," he suggested.

"Agreed." I could really use some air conditioning right about now, but it looked like he needed it, too. His face was flushed and the sweat was visible on his brow.

We worked our way toward his quaint abode, a nice-sized, soft yellow home with bright red awning covering the front porch. Flowers planted in pots sat on the front window sills. I was a couple steps behind James, when he suddenly stopped.

I nearly ran into him. "What the heck, Iggy?" I complained.

"Ah!" he shouted, dropping the pile of mail he'd been holding.

I peered around him to see what the problem was, but I could smell it before I saw it. Carbon dioxide, smoke.

The papers that had fallen to the ground were on fire.

* * *

**Ha-ha, I'm so evil. The proper way to begin a new story is with a cliffhanger. Oh, how this story will be full of them. But I don't want to give too much away. ;) And as a side note, everyone should go to the NHL website and watch the video of the puck getting lost in Antti Niemi's hockey equipment. HILARIOUS! :P Or strip shootout from the Tampa Bay Lightning was funny, too. GO FLYERS!!!! :D :D :D**

**Please Review!!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	2. Development

**Chapter 2 – Development**

Being the savvy tomboy that I am, I was kept from overreacting like any other girl would ― like, for example, screaming like a banshee. Instead, I scanned the surrounding area for immediate signs of danger. Nothing seemed out of the norm. I wasn't picking up any strange vibes. The last few months had been unnerving, not seeing any Erasers or white lab coats. But I figured they were calculating the perfect attack plan. But since this wasn't it, I turned my attention to the flaming papers.

I had to admit that I was somewhat prepared when it came to handling fires. Once, a couple years back, my horse, Gale, knocked over a lantern by accident and caused a small outbreak in the barn. At that time I had a trough to throw on the flames, but the ordeal had readied me enough not to freak out now.

Iggy, on the other hand, seemed a little stunned.

"Just step on it," I commanded him. _Jeez, and he's the pyromaniac?_ I thought sarcastically. "It's not gona burn your feet." Luckily he was in basketball shoes; my flip flops wouldn't have stood a chance in protecting me.

He did just as I'd told him, reacting in a flustered and confused manner. The flames dampened quickly. Only a pile of ash on the sidewalk signified what it had been.

"Damn," I muttered into profound silence. All he and I could do for a moment was stare at the smoking embers.

Then composure set in. "Let me see your hands," I said calmly, hoping I wouldn't see a mass of charred flesh. I was good at handling blood, but burn wounds? Not so much.

Understanding flashed in his eyes; I could see the hint of fear in them. He quickly relented and held them out for me to examine. I checked the palms first, and I had to do a double take. The pale skin looked unharmed. I flipped them over and back several times, but his hands were unscathed.

He marveled in shock. "What the―? But my hands were…"

"Were you using a lighter?" I asked. "What happened?"

"I was just holding the mail, and all of a sudden my _hands were on fire_! I don't know what…" His voice lowered in my mind as I tuned him out. As he continued to blab out of panic, my thoughts wandered. This couldn't be good.

_You're evolving_, the Voice intoned.

"What?" I was startled.

Iggy paused. "Oh, I'm panicking insensibly, aren't I?"

"I wasn't talking to you," I growled, irritated. As I grit my teeth, the Voice continued.

_This next chapter in your life is going to see many changes,_ it warned, ominous yet monotone. I will never understand how the Voice can manage to sound neither feminine nor masculine, but still not robotic. _People will come and go, but there are major challenges that you'll have to overcome… very shortly._

A pit fell in my stomach. Most of my recent conversations with the Voice sounded like this. But this was the first time it pronounced a change coming soon.

But how soon was soon?

"Oh… the Voice," Iggy acknowledged. "I can see why you find it annoying."

"Yeah, it always interrupts at the wrong time." _I hope you heard that._

_Maximum, pay attention to what is going on around you. What have you noticed? What did Iggy tell you?_

_Oh._ "Wait! What did you say happened to your hands?" How did I miss this before? In case you're wondering, my self-awareness has not been as up-to-par as it used to be.

"Well, I _thought_ that when the mail caught on fire, my hands were, too, but that obviously couldn't have…" he drifted off as my eyes bugged. His face grew terse. "My hands were on fire, weren't they?"

I nodded slowly.

_See. Be aware of everyone around you. You may miss something important._

_Well, what happened to him Mr. Sassy Mouth?_

_I already told you._ It sounded smug.

"The Voice says that we're evolving, whatever the heck that's supposed to mean," I said slowly, not liking that answer at all.

He held out his hands and stared at them for a moment. "So when it says we…"

"Does that just mean the two of us, or us and Fang, or are there others out there like us?" I finished his thought.

"Does it also include Itex, though?" he mused. "Are they adapting like we are?"

Before I could answer, a car pulled into an open spot in front of Iggy's house. Mrs. Griffith stepped out of the sedan holding a couple bags of groceries. She looked a lot like her son: strawberry hair, fair skin, blue eyes. And she was tall. Besides those features, he pretty much resembled his dad.

She approached me with a smile. "Hey, Max. I haven't seen you since you returned from Florida. You got a nice tan, and all those pretty freckles."

I tried to hide my blush. "They come out in the sun."

She smiled again, but it instantly waned when she saw the smoldering pile of ash on the cement. "James Griffith, how many times do I have to tell you to stop messing with lighters?" his mom admonished.

"Sorry, Mom." He tried to look embarrassed.

"You wouldn't want to burn poor Max. I'd have to come up with some kind of explanation to tell her mom." Iggy frowned, but I chuckled to myself. "Max, dear, are you staying for supper?"

"No, my mom is coming to pick me up soon, but thanks for the offer." Did I ever mention how much I loved Mrs. Griffith? She made this place like my second home. And she was hilarious.

"Well maybe next time," she allowed. She headed toward the front door. "James, clean that up."

I laughed again as he groaned. While he went to find a dustpan, I followed his mom inside. That whole ordeal was a bit odd. What exactly had happened? Did Iggy's hands catch on fire, or could they control it? Did he shoot it from his hands involuntarily? His reaction definitely proved that this had never occurred before. Were we developing new powers? And who was next?

I sat back on a couch and sighed. Would life ever be simple?

Soon Iggy returned to take a seat by me. "Did you get your school schedule yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, just the other day. My classes are brutal. I have Howard first period for Geometry."

"I have Yocum for Geometry. That sucks for you; I heard Howard eats the students that don't do their homework."

"What the heck? Did we just return to elementary school? _Eating students?_" I laughed. "That's the lamest rumor I'd ever heard."

"When he tries to eat you, I'll remember that you said this. But any time you want to take him on, call me. We can tag team."

It didn't take long for my mom to arrive. As she entered the house, she had tight lines around her eyes. The smile on her face was strained.

"Ready to go?" she asked me.

I nodded and rose. "See ya' later, Iggy," I said to him. He stood up and we hugged. No, over-zealous readers, there was nothing romantic about it. We were friends. _Just_ friends. Jeez.

I waved goodbye to Mrs. Griffith and walked with my mom to our car. The tension in the air was intense. Mom was eerily silent, which cannot be good. What did I do wrong now? Did she hear something about Jeb and Ari? The silence was killing me.

"Mom, what's going on? Did… you hear any news?" She could hear the panic in my voice, and she relaxed a bit.

"No, it's just the usual." I loved how she avoided answering my question.

"But what's up? You're really tense." I could feel my head pounding. This would be so much easier if she just told me. Patience is not a game that I play.

"You'll see in a bit." She turned in toward our house. "But… I want you not to freak out."

Uh oh.

As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed a car at our home. I'd never seen it before. It was a dark truck with a Virginia license plate. My heart raced like I was sprinting. This whole day was getting freaky.

Something was up.

Taking Mom's warning to heart, I walked slowly from our car to the front door. She entered before me, giving me a stern yet pleading look. I didn't like this. My arms were shaking with nervous anticipation. What could possibly be waiting inside our home?

I stepped inside to see Ella at the top of the steps, her eyes red and puffy. Sitting on our living room couch was a young, thin blond. She was dressed in a sharp suit-and-skirt and looked like big money. Upon our entrance, she rose and looked at me with a shark-like grin. Ice shards congealed in my veins.

She took a step toward me and extended her hand. "You must be Max," she said in an excited tone. The gleam in her eye scared me. "My name is Anne Walker."

* * *

**So today had easily been the BEST DAY of my life! Half of my already small school was gone on a field trip, so we had the halls to ourselves. Let's just say that I got to go to Dunkin' Donuts during school hours. :P And I know what college I'm going to next year!! :D :D I'm not sure if I should say the name of the lucky institute, but it is in the lovely state of New York. :) But sadly you readers must bear more cliffhangers. **

**Review please!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	3. Proposal

**Chapter 3 — Proposal**

I wasn't sure why, but a terrible feeling soared through me just then. This woman, Anne Walker, looked like a pretty, upper-class, put-together kind of person. The implications of having her at our quaint farm were something that I could never guess at. What had she done that made my mom freak out, Ella cry, and Fang disappear?

Somehow this day kept getting weirder.

While I didn't know why she was here, and my reaction to her could probaby be as vague as her intentions, there was one thing for sure that I wouldn't do.

I didn't shake her hand.

After a moment she dropped it with an awkward smile.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Mom, where's Fang?" I asked. After all the excitement of a possible new power and ambiguous predictions about evolving, all I really wanted to do was kick back and talk to him. Fang had a way of knowing what to say, especially to me.

Mom measured me before speaking. "Out back. You might want to give him some space, though."

"Why?" I was getting very irritated.

"He has—" she was going to say, but Anne cut her off.

"Please, Max, just stay here for a little bit. I want to talk to you. _Without_ Fang." She stared at my mom for a moment, and the doctor understood what she wanted.

"I'll go upstairs for a little bit," she murmured, striding toward the steps.

I might have trusted Anne's innocent look, but I was so used to people like her. She reminded me of Mr. Darnell from school, and we all know how _that_ ended. For all I know she could be an Eraser waiting to bite my head off.

"O….kay?"

Her smile brightened. "Alright. May we sit down? You look a little… overwhelmed." Actually, I felt very skittish, but her word worked, too. I slowly worked my way to the couch opposite her. From this seat I had a better angle to the back door in case I needed to bolt. As she sat down, she crossed her legs and folded her hands over her knees. "So, let's talk."

_What are we, best friends? Who the hell do you think you are?_ "About what?"

"About Fang, actually."

I already didn't like where this was going.

When I didn't say anything, she continued. "You see, whether he remembered me or not, I've known Fang for a long time. From a point in time when he went by his real name, Marco, but we always called him Marc." She laughed once, and I could hear the anxiety in it. I think she knew I'd be her toughest customer, even more stubborn than Fang, which was saying something. It's a little fact that I'm proud of.

I raised an eyebrow. "Can you get to the point?"

Her eyes rested on mine, trying to examine my thoughts. Her eyes were the color blue of a cloudless summer day. "It's important you understand where I'm coming from in my request. When Marc— I mean, Fang — was introduced to me, he was just a baby. Absolutely adorable, but his parents had died. At the time I was a student, but I was very close with the person who adopted him."

By now I was sitting on the edge of the couch, clutching the cushions between claw-like hands. Her words made my heart beat pulse in my ears, not helping the headache issue.

"His adopted mother was my sister, Rose Liridon. Her husband died young, before they could have children themselves. She kept his last name and adopted Fang in his memory."

I was stunned. Most people would have had a pity-party for her situation, but I really didn't care about any of that. Realization was more potent than a sad story.

_Aw, crap. _

Anne Walker was Fang's aunt.

She registered my bulging eyes and sighed knowingly. "I know that this is a shock to you—" she began, but I wouldn't let her continue.

"What's the real reason that you're here?" I was getting annoyed. And it was my style to cut to the chase anyway.

She was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Don't act like I'm a naïve child. I'm fifteen years old, and I've encountered many people just like you." I leaned forward, making sure she could read my face clearly. "If a person wanted to visit a long-lost relative, they usually make some form of contact before randomly showing up at their doorstep. Okay, I may understand that you are Fang's aunt. But since you didn't follow the likely progression, what is the real reason that you're here? Who sent you?"

By that point I was furious. This day needed to end, but first I wanted answers. If she didn't comply I would gleefully wring her neck until she spoke.

A sly smirk played on her lips. "You're very smart. Because of that, I'll give you what you want to hear." She paused for dramatic affect (which I believed she did just to get on my nerves). "As you've already figured, I am Fang's aunt. I was informed of his plight recently, as I told the rest of your family. When I heard that he'd been in foster care for the past ten year, I knew that a family member had to step in to protect him. I couldn't believe that the court systems had kept him from my care this long. But now that I'm on my feet, I've come prepared to give Fang an offer."

I was holding my breath as her ice-blue eyes pierced into my soul (as over-dramatic as it sounds, you'd be inclined to make the same analogy if you were in my shoes).

"I want him to come live with me, on my estate in Virginia. I own a farm similar to yours, including a big lake for boating. This way he can be with his _real_ family." I wasn't sure if I imagined the emphasis on the word, but it definitely seemed implied.

That bitch. How dare she say that we weren't his real family!

Instead of flipping out, I calmly inhaled and met her gaze. "And what did he say when he heard this proposal?" If there was one person in this world I could count on, it was Fang.

I saw her eyes tighten minutely; I picked the right question to ask. "He was skeptical, obviously. He's been wondering why I haven't tried to reach him sooner, or anyone else in our family for that matter. But he hasn't said no yet, and I promised him time to consider."

It took a lot of effort not to grin like an idiot. I knew Fang would get just as weird vibes as I did from her, but he always handled these situations with more tact than I did.

"Well, okay," I exhaled, feeling relieved.

She raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "So you approve?" Her voice was colored with distrust.

"Hell, no!" I laughed. Hey, call me crass. "I _know_ that he belongs here. We've been taking care of him for almost a year, and he's become part of our family. It doesn't matter what the technicalities are; a family is a unit of people who care for each other." _And if you were really his family, you would have taken him under your wing after the accident,_ I wanted to say, but I did have more common sense that that. I was almost certain that she would have whacked me with her giant, expensive purse if I'd said something like that.

That was when I stood up. "If you'd excuse me, I'd like to go talk to my _brother_." As much satisfaction as I would have gotten from looking at her face, I turned away toward the back door, mostly because I really wanted to talk to Fang.

There was a moment of sputtering from behind me before I heard Mom — who had no doubt been eavesdropping on our conversation — descend the steps to meet with Anne. I didn't care to know what they were doing, but I hoped it involved making Miss Walker leave our home.

I stepped outside into the warm, humid air. The sun had transformed from a blinding orb to a smoldering yellow-and-orange fire ball, the kind of mid-afternoon light that signaled the upcoming night. It didn't take long to find Fang, who was sitting by the barn with our Australian Shepherd, Savannah, at his feet. He was rubbing her ears with a small smile.

The gravel crunched as I approached the unlikely couple. My dog perked up at the sound and waggled over, like an overexcited child.

"Hey, girl," I said, her presence relaxing me. I kept on forward toward Fang as she wandered off.

He looked up at me with knowing dark eyes. Since our trip to Jeb's house, he hadn't acted much different than usual —silent, independent, and brooding. Although he did relent in getting a hair cut (which now could pass as emo if one didn't know him better), he still would wear his morose and monochromatic wardrobe (that color being black).

"Hey," he said.

My heart skipped as the sun glinted off his tan skin. I may be a sap, but I don't crumple under the presence of a hot guy. And yes, Fang does fall in that category. He just wouldn't hear it from me.

My face remained composed. "Hey."

He looked up at me for a moment longer, and then blinked. He scooted over. "Sit," he commanded in his usual verboseness as he patted the spot next to him.

I sighed but relented. Other than discussing our theories on the raid at Jeb's house, we hadn't talked much these past two months. I reclined against the barn and allowed the sun to soak into my skin.

We were silent for a moment. He watched me as I stared at the sky, allowing the day's events to ebb out of my brain. I needed a break, big time.

When I finally felt the need to talk, I went a different direction from where I originally intended. "I think James got a new power." I spoke this softly but quickly, knowing he would be attentive to anything I would say.

This gave him a start, but for the most part he remained undisturbed. "What happened now?"

I didn't know where to begin. "It was really odd. Neither of us are sure exactly what happened, but I think that fire shot out of his hands, or at least he created a small spark with them."

His eyes widened slightly, his version of complete shock. "Please say he didn't set his house on fire."

"No, no!" I laughed, unable to stay serious for long. "He set the mail on fire, but he did break a window."

"Typical," he chuckled. He was silent for a moment. "Well?"

I paused, unsure of what he meant. "Well what?"

"Well, why did you say this first? Are you concerned that a new power may be a problem? I thought you'd be more upset about… Anne." His eyes darted to the house.

"I am upset about _that_, but I do have some issues with the powers."

"Like…?"

"The obvious being ourselves, whether we'll be gaining any new powers. _Evolving_, as the Voice told me. I think that as we experiment more with our current powers, new ones will spring up in response. And of course I wonder if there are more kids out there like us, dealing with crazy scientists who have experimented on them in the name of science."

"It's good to know that our problems are _small_," he noted sarcastically. "But the point is legitimate. Why would Itex stop with just the three of us? And they must have had many failures in genetic engineering before the few successes. Who knows how many lives they've affected, casualties they've caused?"

My mind instantly drifted to my own family, a clear example of being effected by the experimenting. My dad and half-brother were kidnapped by my designers. And I knew Fang was thinking about his own family, his biological parents. People who he has never met. If I thought my life was complicated, his was completely screwed.

"You're not going to move with Anne, are you?"

He smirked. "I wasn't planning on it. But I have been thinking…"

"About what?" I raised an eyebrow, hoping he wasn't toying with the idea.

"Do you remember the time you found out that you were going to foster me? You'd said that you always intended on fostering children, but the opportunity never presented itself."

I didn't see where he was going. "Yeah, I remember."

"Who was involved with the placement, making sure that I ended up in your house? Someone who had to know a lot about the two of us."

"Jeb set it up," I said slowly, still confused.

He nodded. "Exactly. When I talked with Anne, she told me the agency contacted her about me. They discovered that I had relatives and wanted her to come meet me."

"But you didn't believe her."

"How could I? If this had involved the agency, they would have contacted us about it. Or I would have been placed under her care or someone else in the Walker or Liridon family after the car accident. The explanation she gave was a ruse, and I'm sure she knew that I could see through it. So besides foster care, the only other person who knows me as well as they do is Jeb. Who would have planted the idea of relocating with Anne except for him?"

My breath caught in my throat. He was right.

"But I don't get it," I muttered, not wanting to see reason. "How could Jeb have contacted her unless he had been released by Itex, which obviously hasn't happened yet?" I was flustered, unwilling to accept the other option which I knew he would bring up.

"Unless he's on their side."

The words hung in the air, tangible and nagging. As bad as a relationship I'd had with my father, I didn't want to believe that he was working against me. The idea was implausible, absurd. Why would he go through all the trouble of helping us in New York only to betray us?

"That doesn't have to be the case," I whispered, too weary from today to be defiant.

Fang shrugged. "Believe what you want, but the evidence is there. Until then, I hope I see as little as Anne Walker as possible." He pushed up from the ground and headed toward the house.

I stared blankly, not wanting to think about the argument he'd presented.

He stopped after a few steps. "Max, I know that this is hard to accept, but you need to think clearly. If Jeb is working with Itex, then we're in real danger. No one we know is safe, especially your family." I thought he was going to say more, but he walked back inside.

I sighed. As much as I hated this day at the time, it was the beginning of a new era in my life — the start of new changes that, looking back, I had no idea how I was able to overcome.

* * *

**Kina Kalamari, did you enjoy the return of Fang? :P Jace'n'FangLover, thanks! And I love Jace, too. *drools* jules96, you're not the first to have said that. While I do take a comparison to JP to be a huge compliment, it's also something I strive for in a sense. I like to be myself when I write, but I also want it to seem like this could have actually happened in the books. **

**I have to apologize, though. I would have posted this yesterday, but the computer wasn't reading my flashdrive. Ugh. I'm so tired of Windows computers.**

**Please Review!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	4. The AlmostTalk

**Chapter 4 — The Almost-Talk**

Blessed, blessed sleep. This was the ultimate escape. Whenever you were stuck between a rock and a hard place in life, the blissful Morpheus served as a way to shut off the world, relax, and get set to face the next suckish day. If more people had an outlook on life like mine, there'd be more of us in therapy.

To those of us out there who cherished sleep as much as I did, you'd know how rejuvenated I felt the following morning. For a few minutes, I completely forgot that James had developed a new power that had the potential for much evil, that Anne Walker had offered to take Fang from our home, and that Jeb was possibly working against me. When the reality of these horrific discoveries came crashing down on me, I felt much more tired than I had in months.

I reluctantly rolled out of bed at the usual 5 AM, ready for the early morning monotony of work on the farm. It was mindless work, things that I have done for many years. My mind was free to wander to places that I desperately wished to avoid. And seeing Fang, gazing at me with eyes that said, _I hope you're thinking clearly_, didn't help to ease my thoughts.

By the time I was done, I was flushed and sweating, ready for a cold shower. Unfortunately I didn't get in fast enough to get to a bathroom on time. Ella and I shared the upstairs room, which she claimed eagerly. Her friend Monique was coming to our house for a sleepover and Ella wanted time to prepare for the night's events. Our other bathroom was split by Mom and Fang. Mom had already finished and was ready for her day at the vet clinic, so Fang just stepped into the shower.

I poured a glass of milk and sprawled on the couch, trying to ignore the headache I'd had since yesterday.

_Max_, I heard the Voice say.

_What?_ With all I'd gone through yesterday, the least the Voice could do was give my brain some space.

But it never answered.

"Max," Mom said, the heels of her dress sandals clicking on the floor.

I lifted my head but didn't say anything.

She came over to the sofa opposite mine — the one I had sat in yesterday when I spoke with Anne. If I had been more aware of her instead of dealing with the pain in my head, I would have noted the concern and anxiety that marked her face. That should have raised some flags.

Her caring brown eyes were cautious. "Can I talk to you?" she asked, and I could hear the importance in her voice.

Sensing that I really had no choice in whether I wanted to talk to her or not, I straightened up in my seat. "Sure," I sighed. I had a strange feeling that I wasn't going to enjoy this particular conversation. The past few hadn't been terribly pleasant.

She measured me, making sure that I was listening and willing. With a skeptical look, she continued, "I've noticed something," she began, looking away, "that I wanted to get some answers for. Something I think I should know about. And I have faith in you to be completely honest with me."

I did not like where this was going. "Okay."

She relaxed some, but the tension stuck in her shoulders. "I think it's time that we had a talk…"

"Oh, Mom, please don't!" I could see it in her eyes, how they wouldn't meet mine. I knew that we would have to some day, but I really didn't expect it to be now. Or in such a stereotypical manner. "I already know what you're going to say."

"Even so, I think it needs to be said." She paused, pursed her lips, and took a deep breath. "Back in December, we had a fight, and we've never really made up from it. I'm sorry for not caring more about Fang, and it was wrong of me not to consider him as part of the family. I now know that it was a stupid thing to say, especially since he means a lot to you."

"It's alright, really." Truth be told, it still hurt to remember that night. After an Eraser attack, Fang ran away, and when Mom came home she was only concerned for me. I couldn't believe how she disregarded him, and it stung.

She didn't accept my response, but it didn't stop her. "And since then I've been keeping a close eye on both you and Fang."

I held my breath. It was becoming a common action lately.

"Do you have feelings for him?"

That was a dagger, driving deep into my gut. It was idiotic to believe that Mom was blind. The way I reacted that night was a clear sign that my feelings for him overpowered any concern for myself. I risked getting captured (which saddly happened anyway) to chase after him, even after Mom forbade me to leave.

I sighed again, feeling a thousand years old. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because I spent the night considering what Miss Walker had to say. And if I have any doubt that you and Fang might… do something that could end up hurting each other, then I might make him live with her."

"Mom!" I was stunned, and embarrassed. "It's not like that at all. I would never do anything with anyone, especially Fang."

"How would I know―?"

"If you want to know how I feel about Fang, you can ask him yourself," I interrupted. "I told him that I didn't want anything going on between us, and that he should back off. And he would never push me into something I'm uncomfortable with. It's not going to be a problem, Mom."

She still didn't look convinced, probably because I didn't answer her question. "You know I'm just thinking about the two of you."

"I do understand that, but Fang and I are smarter than that. If we had intentions of being boyfriend and girlfriend, you'd know."

"How am I supposed to know with kids these days? Teenagers sneak off and do things behind their parents' backs all the time. And I'm sure there are things that you and Ella don't tell me."

"Is this sneaking off thing similar to what you do with Justin?" I know I delivered a sucker punch, but she had it coming. Justin Truman was one of her old coworkers at Itex, when she was working on developing the perfect 'angel kids'. It was too bad that around that time she was dating Jeb (something that I have never understood). Maybe if they'd had been together at the time, this whole experimentation-on-Max thing could have been avoided.

But ever since Jeb disappeared, Mom's dates with Justin have been infrequent. She's been concerned for my father, while Justin has been trying to contact anyone who might know more about Jeb's whereabouts.

Mom instantly went on the defensive. "There's a major difference, Max. As an adult, I know more about life and relationships than you do. My past has proven that making the wrong decisions will result in bad consequences, and I want to protect you. Teenagers don't know what they're getting into when they pursue love."

"Don't you think I know that already?" My voice softened; I felt bad for bringing up Justin. "I know what can happen, only because you've raised me well enough not to be hasty. I appreciate that you're a concerned parent."

"Aw, Max." She shuffled over next to me and gave me a giant mom-hug. I squeezed her tightly. "I'm glad you think so."

"And I'm sorry for mentioning your dating life, but I was trying to prove a point. You're worried about me and Fang, but I'm worried about you, too. Whose there to tell you to be careful of what choices you're making?"

She stared at me, deep in thought. "That's very wise," she murmured, almost to herself. "I'm lucky to have daughters like you and Ella." She hugged me again and planted a kiss on my forehead.

While I was still able to deliver more nuggets of wisdom, I had something else to say. "You might want to get to work soon, before angry clients start calling in."

"That shouldn't be a problem," she chuckled. "They can't begin at the office without me."

She rose and grabbed her purse. "But remember what I said," she intoned, putting on a pseudo-authoritative voice. "If there is any relationship you want to pursue, don't be afraid to come to me."

"Okay." I smiled.

"I love you, Max."

"Love you, too."

She walked out the door, and I heard a chuckle from behind me. I turned, and what do you know? The bane of my existence is sauntering toward me.

"That was sweet," Fang said, a smug smile on his lips. His hair was slick from the shower.

I glared at him. "How much of that did you hear? Haven't you heard of private conversations?"

"Just the end of it." He shrugged. "Was there anything you talked about that you'd like to share with me?"

Now it was my turn to smile slyly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

* * *

**OMG! I am still pumped about the Flyers game last night! :D Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't get this out sooner. Been busy with stuff, yada-yada-yada. I always wanted to add a chapter like this, and I found this to be an appropriate time because of Anne. Could have been better, could have been more embarrassing for Max (which is always fun to write), but my mind is set on other things (like finals in two weeks and a banquet/formal tonight in which I really need to get a new dress). **

**Sooo, to those of you who haven't seen, I've FINALLY updated my story Ghost of Me after eons of not writing anything. I will try to work on finishing that one, too, so if you haven't please try to read it. And has anyone heard of The Letter Black? If not, do yourself a favor and listen to them. Their album "Hanging on by a Thread" is A-FREAKIN'-MAZING!**

**--biteoutoflife--**


	5. Report

**Chapter 5 - Report**

In my previous story, I once mentioned that there wasn't much I feared in the world, except for maybe facing Erasers head-on or having more one-on-one conversations with Jeb (even though it still hurts to think about him at this point, so let's try not to delve on him too much), there was one thing that I could honestly say that put me on edge just as much as these things did. And I knew I wasn't alone when I said that I hated it—Fang was pretty scared to leave his room the rest of the night, and _that_ was saying something. What might this mysterious thing be that leaves us shaking in the corner like a scared dog during a thunderstorm, you may wonder? Well, just check back to the previous chapter to see what we are referring to.

But since that would take too much work to click back and then back again to this chapter, I may as well just say it again.

Girl time. With Ella and Monique Johnson, our friend from the barn who was the daughter of a wealthy lawyer in Maryland.

Okay, so a sleepover may not be one's idea of the sulfur of hell and total world destruction. Well, considering that I wasn't into girl talk, makeovers, gossiping about boys, and that whole bit, the night would be for me to try to avoid them which I had never quite succeeded to do in past sleepovers with the two. On top of all else, readers may also remember from my previous story that Ella and Monique easily have the world's largest crush on Fang. Therefore, Fang might either spend the entire night in his room (probably invisible), just to avoid them.

That's why it came to me as a huge surprise when Fang approached me an hour before Monique was supposed to arrive.

I was sitting on the couch, watching Pawn Stars on the History Channel. (Seriously, that show is awesome. You should watch it sometime). It had been a couple hours since my "talk" with Mom, and since then the home had been oddly empty. Or at least not wherever I had been. Mom was at work, Ella had been cleaning her room, and Fang was around...doing whatever it is that he does. I still try not to think too much about it. Besides, having Max-time was hard to come by, and I basked in the alone time as much as I could.

As I was laughing at something dumb Chumlee said on the show, I felt a chill behind me, giving me the creeps. My hair stood on edge as I looked up, only to nearly pee myself. Mr. Dark and Silent was standing behind me, his face blank.

I jumped, surprised. "Jeez, Fang! Give me a warning the next time you decide to creep on my like that."

"Did you just call me a creeper?" He sounded slightly amused, and he motioned for me to move my feet so he could sit on the couch. I sighed, relenting.

"Well, you do have the power of invisibility. How do I know you don't sneak into our bathroom at night?" I joked.

He scowled.

"Kidding! Just kidding," I said, my eyes on the TV. A commercial had just started, giving me no excuse to not be looking at him. Still, it was a little awkward after thinking about what Mom had been talking to me about earlier. "So, why did you come in here?"

He leaned over me, and I thought he might have tried to kiss me—which would have been a huge mistake on his part—but instead he reached over my head to grab the remote. I blushed, completely embarrassed at where my thoughts had taken me. Jeez, I really needed another vacation. Just to get my mind working in proper order again.

"You just wanted the TV?" I asked, coughing to mask my discomfort.

"No," he said, flipping through the channels, "I wanted to ask if you were doing anything tonight."

That pulled me up short.

"Um...what did you just ask me?" Suave, Max, real suave.

His eyes flicked at me, searching my dumbfounded face. "Did you want to do something tonight? I know you don't want to be here as much as I do."

Well, he did have a point.

"Fang, are you asking me on a date?" I couldn't help but rag on him now, especially after his request. I mean, it _did_ just sound like he asked me out.

Didn't it?

He smirked. "It could be a date if you want it to be." When I scowled at him, he chuckled. "But I'm serious. Want to just hang out or something? We could even ask James to come with us."

"Iggy."

"What?"

"Iggy. James's nickname is Iggy."

"Oh." He pondered it for a moment, before a glimmer of darkness shone through his black eyes. "Well, _Iggy_ can come too, if he likes."

I stared at him, making sure he was serious. After all, this was the same Fang that I was in a prank war with several months ago. Maybe we both did a lot of maturing since then, but I know I would still pull one over on him if I had the chance.

"If you're _that_ desperate..."

"I'm not desperate," he argued. "It's self-preservation. Survival instincts, you know."

I snorted, but not because he sounded dumb. "I think I'm finally understanding where you're coming from." My mind flashed to all the instances of horror that was makeover-sleepover. I shuddered.

He smirked. "Good."

* * *

What exactly had we decided on doing? Well, the one thing that kind of hindered our decision was that Iggy had a previous engagement he needed to attend to (*cough* he's grounded *cough*), so that left me alone with Fang for our "date". Ugh, I think he planned this on purpose. Well, we still weren't quite sure, but it had to be something better than me getting tortured all night and him getting flirted with by two tweens.

Unfortunately Mom didn't get home before Monique arrived, so we really had no way of avoiding the inevitable rush that was Monique.

Ella came down once the doorbell rang, and standing in the doorway was Monique—tall for her age, slim, with caramel colored skin and insanely curly hair that looked great on her. She carried some of her belongings—a designer handbag and a pillow—and then she was followed by Mrs. Johnson, who was almost an exact copy of her daughter. She dragged in a suitcase and sleeping bag, causing my jaw to drop.

"Hey!" Mo squealed to Ella, as if they didn't just see each other a few days ago.

They hugged tightly. "I'm so glad you could stay over," Ella gushed.

I rolled my eyes.

"So I brought a lot of stuff to do for us," Monique blabbed, getting carried away, "like all my makeup and some nice dresses was some games like Apples to Apples. We can spend the whole night playing since we really have nothing to do tomorrow. Did your mom give you the day off working on the farm? I really hope so because I don't want to wake up at five in the morning. Where is your mom? Oh, there's Max. Hi, Max!"—she waved at me—"We have a lot to do tonight, so I hope you're ready." She grinned devilishly, causing sweat to bead on the back of my neck.

"No can do, Mo," I said in the most apologetic voice I could muster. "I'm actually going out tonight."

Ella and Mo raised their eyebrows speculatively. Even Mrs. Johnson looked curious.

"With who?" Ella asked, looking excited. "Is he a cute boy? Will we get to meet him?"

Suddenly, Fang appeared in the living room, coming in through the hallway. If someone hadn't been watching, they may not have ever known that he was coming into the room. It nearly scared the crap out of Mo and Mrs. Johnson, but Ella and I were used to his ways by now.

Mo smiled brightly. "Fang!" I could see her calculating something in her head.

Appearing to notice it, too, Fang quickly said, "Can't. Going out."

"Wha—oh. _Oh._" The gears in Ella's and Monique's heads seemed to be working on the same hard drive. They both grinned wickedly.

"Max and Fang are going out," Ella stated.

My body went stiff and I glared at her.

"That's so cute!" Monique said, speculatively. "I always thought they'd be good for each other. I mean, there aren't many guys out there who can handle Max, but I think Fang is up to the challenge. She's pretty and witty, so most guys would be intimidated—" She stopped when her mother shot her a look.

I was frozen, petrified, while Fang seemed a little dismayed. (Did I see him blush? Maybe it's just a trick of the light...)

"I'm sorry about her, kids," Mrs. Johnson apologized to me and Fang. "She still doesn't know how to control herself."

Monique didn't seem to hear her comment. "I have my cell phone, in case we need to call you for anything."

Mrs. Johnson understood what her daughter was leading at. "Okay, I'll get going. Just have fun, and don't torture them too much." She smiled and hugged her daughter before she left.

Ella and Mo giggled excitedly about the prospect of fun and torture for the rest of the night. Not paying any attention to them, Fang slid past the happy pair and once again took a seat next to me on the couch. I pretended to ignore him until Ella and Mo took the suitcase and other belongings upstairs.

"What do you want now?" I sighed when they were out of earshot.

Once again, Fang reached over and grabbed the remote, although this time he didn't have to climb over me to get it.

"The news," he said absentmindedly, turning to a news station that broadcasted out of Washington D.C.

Ever since our adventure in New York, Fang has been watching the news religiously, as well as checking internet news feeds and asking for reader responses on his blog. He was always on the lookout for news about Itex, even if they didn't mention the company by name.

I rolled my eyes, even if he had a purpose in being so up-to-date.

"So...have you thought about what you wanted to do tonight?" I asked, getting bored with the reporters on the screen covering another murder that happened in the district.

He shrugged. "It's really up to you."

He wasn't making this any easier. "Well, there aren't any good movies in theaters, and I hate mini-golf...oh!" Suddenly it came to me. "Have you ever gone go-cart driving?"

That caught his attention. "No."

I smiled, glad I found something fun and something that Fang might like to do. "It's a blast! I might even let you beat me."

He chuckled, but suddenly his attention turned back to the TV.

"In light of the recent kidnapping at a local hospital's nursery in Georgetown, a recent story has developed from one of the patients who was receiving her regular pregnancy checkups at the same hospital who is suing her obstetrician," somberly reported the man in a million dollar suit. "She claims that the doctor was using malpractice on her and her fetus which resulted in the still-birth of the child."

The screen cut from the anchorman to a censored image of a woman who did not want her identity to be known to the public. She started telling her story about mystery pills and injections with hypodermic needles, all because he said it was essential for the life of the baby.

Disgusted, Fang turned off the TV.

We sat silently for a while, mulling over the report.

"You know what that sounds like?" I said finally, a horrible sinking feeling coming in my stomach.

Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Fang. He seemed a little green. "Yeah, I know." His grip on the remote was tight, lips taut.

"There's really no way to stop it, is there?"

He sighed, relaxing his grip slightly. "Not right now there isn't..."

"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try," I said, finishing his unspoken thoughts. Just because we couldn't help being experimented on ourselves doesn't mean that we can't help other kids and families from being protected from this...this _horror._ No one should have to go through that."

Well, I hoped this wouldn't be a downer on our night.

* * *

**The obvious: I'm not dead, yes I'm still writing, and I'm still creating some twisted ideas. The more obvious: I'm writing at an extremely slow pace, I'm in my second semester of college, and I don't always have time to write. The solution: reread the stories to remember what is going on (because that's what I had to do...seriously), send nice reviews or PMs (because I had a lovely chat with Heart of Diamond), and do other things to keep up my morale. The stuff in this story is only gonna get deeper and darker, but I feel like it needs to be said. And I'm also taking on the almost-impossible task of editing "Not So Normal". Wish me luck. X)**

**-biteoutoflife-**


	6. Before the Outing

**Chapter 6 - Before the Outing**

Mom was ecstatic to get Fang and me out of the house, even if it would only be for a couple of hours. She still seemed a little skeptical about something going on between him and me when she shot me a look that said, "Please don't be spending the night out of the home just to make out, or anything worse." I just shook my head, trying to remind her about our talk earlier.

Even if she didn't quite trust our intentions, she still thought it was a good idea. We weren't really going to have a good night if Ella and Mo were on the prowl. And besides, she trusted us to behave ourselves while we were out, although she would have felt better if Iggy had been able to come with us. At least it would be an extra pair of eyes in case another "Jeb" incident happened.

But I couldn't live my life thinking that way. I knew I should always be on guard, but I didn't want to be ruled by fear. There would have to be balance between watching out for Erasers and having some fun. And since I wasn't much for having fun, this was gonna be a problem.

Fang and I didn't speak as we were attending to our afternoon chores on the farm. As much as I wouldn't admit it to him, I was looking forward to getting out of the house. After fourteen years of spending all my time in the house or riding my horse, I needed to live a little. Maybe. Well, it didn't have to be too extreme. I wasn't going to suddenly turn into a partier-and-pot-smoker overnight. I liked to be in control, thank you very much.

And besides, anything was better than hanging around the house during an Ella-and-Monique sleepover.

When we were finished, I headed up to my room to grab a fresh change of clothes and prepare for a shower. In the room across the hall, I heard giggling. I sighed and started heading for the bathroom.

I was more tense than I had realized once the cool water struck my body. I couldn't say where all this stress was coming from (well, I could, but seriously—it was the summer. I should be enjoying myself). Maybe it was a culmination of everything that had been going on in my life over the past two months. Jeb and Ari disappearing, new powers being revealed, Fang being even more of a pain than usual, and now the problem with embryonic experimentation being reported on the news. How more obvious can Itex make their existence known? It isn't bad enough that they had to screw up the lives of innocent people like Fang, Iggy, and myself, but also all these families who have had children stolen from them or even killed. It just didn't seem right, and now they were rubbing it in our faces.

This world was a sick place; I didn't want to begin to understand it.

I really couldn't drag out my shower any longer, and instead of relaxing, I just got more wired. The more I tried to make sense of anything going on in my screwed up life, the more I became confused and angry. There was just no way out of the chaos at this point.

I toweled myself dry and changed into fresh clothes. My hair was still wrapped in a towel as I exited the bathroom. I wasn't exactly expecting trouble until at least by the time I went out with Fang tonight, but wouldn't you know trouble would find me sooner?

A scream came from Ella's room.

I didn't really have time to think. I strode into her room, expecting a heard of Erasers pouring in through her window or descending through a giant whole in the roof, but I was seriously stupefied once I took in the scene. Ella and Monique were sitting on the bed, with Mo holding her iPod in her hand.

Did I seriously just freak out over a girl-scream? God, I am the biggest idiot in the world. I needed to relax, and fast.

The two looked up at me, fear in their eyes. This left me wondering...were they watching a horror flick? Stumble upon horrible news of their favorite actor getting engaged? Did someone die? Seriously, what was up with those two?

"What's going on?" I said to break the awkward silence in the room. I really didn't want Mom busting into the room if there was no reason for her to freak out. I could handle the situation by myself, thank you very much.

Their looks wavered, as if deciding whether they should tell me, show me, whatever was going on. But I couldn't guess what they would tell me that would surprise me more than anything I had already seen or experienced at this point.

"You know you guys can tell me anything?" I said, trying to sound less annoyed and more empathetic. I mean, I wasn't always the best female role model for Ella to look up to, but I figured she at least trusted me well enough to talk about her problems with me. Even if it was in front of her friend.

"It was...nothing," Ella said quickly, looking at Mo for support.

She appeared shaken.

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Nothing? I'm sure nothing caused you guys to scream? Seriously, you guys know you can tell me. I've seen some crazy stuff already, believe me."

"I don't know if you'd believe us," Mo said in a small, anxious voice.

I sighed. "Look, you guys have no idea what happened to us when we were in New York. You have no idea what Fang and I saw and went through. If you could say something that I couldn't believe, then you've really got something strange on your hands."

They seemed to believe that little speech, but then again I did have a point. Besides, I was strange enough to believe when it comes to oddities. It wasn't like I was Mrs. Rational.

With a sigh, Mo finally spoke up. "I sort of..."

"Sort of what? Did you break the furniture?"

She shook her head. "I sort of...made the iPod come across the room."

Well, I was a little surprised, but only because I had no idea what she was talking about.

"Um, care to elaborate?"

For once in her short twelve years of life, Mo was speechless. I wasn't sure what surprised me more, the absurdity of her statement or the fact that she had no explanation for it. This whole ordeal was quite puzzling, and, frankly, really annoying when I had no idea what they hell they were talking about.

Finally, Ella spoke for Monique. "I'm not even really sure what I saw. But what I think happened was that Mo said she wanted to show me something on her iPod, which was on my desk, and then...it sort of flew across the room into her hand."

Mo laughed nervously. "Crazy, huh?" she laughed again, although it sounded strained.

"Well..." What was I supposed to tell them? That I didn't think it was crazy? That I didn't think that this was a coincidence? There really was no easy way of explaining any of what happened to me and Fang over the past year to them, but it seemed the more crazy shit that happens around here, the more people are going to find out the truth. That newscast alone was ominous enough, and now new powers are popping up everywhere! I wouldn't be surprised if Ella suddenly developed gills or something crazy like that.

God, I really hope crazy scientists didn't think of putting gills on people. Because it sounds kind of gross.

"See, we knew you wouldn't believe us!" Monique had tears in her eyes.

That caught me off guard. "No, no, really! I didn't say anything because I do believe you. And I can guarantee that someone else in this house will believe you, too."

While they were musing over that statement, I swiftly left the room and headed downstairs to see Fang. I knocked on his door.

"Come in," he said.

I sighed and opened the door, suddenly grasping what was going on in the screwed up microcosm that was my life. What did the Voice say, just weeks ago? _Be aware of everyone around you. You may miss something important._ Well, I guess it was kind of hard to miss a tween making objects fly across the room. Not that I held it against her or anything. It was also hard not noticing the recent upswing in new powers. What did it all mean?

Fang was laying on the bed on his stomach, typing on his Mac. He looked up at me expectantly?

"Is this about tonight?" he wondered.

"What?" He caught me off guard. I was thinking about things a lot more important than tonight. "No, but, uh...there's something you should probably know about. Upstairs."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask what I meant. He silently got off the bed and followed me out of his room.

On the way to the stairs, we passed Mom, who eyed us curiously. I ignored her and continued on to Ella's room. The two still seemed shaken when we entered.

"Okay, now I want you to tell him everything you told me," I said, letting Fang chew on the meaning of my words for a little bit. As a reward, I noted a slightly confused look pass over his brow, but nothing really perceptible to the common eye.

"You brought _Fang_?" Ella blurted, appalled.

"What, would you rather have me tell Mom?"

That statement made her rethink her objection to Fang knowing.

"Trust me, Fang will believe you guys, too," I reassured them. "He won't think you're crazy and he'll help us figure out what is going on with Mo."

To Fang's credit, he didn't let his curiosity show. We were kind of leaving him out of the loop.

"So, are you going to tell him, or should I do the honors?"

They looked at each other, silently deciding what would be better: their account, or mine. They really only had one option. They shared the story about what happened to Fang, who took all the information in without visibly acknowledging any surprise or fear or any emotion for that matter. He just stared intently at them as they were speaking.

"So?" they asked expectantly when they finished, hoping for some kind of helpful response from Fang.

"Interesting..." was all they got. I wanted to laugh. Fang≠hopeful responses. But he did believe them, which was all they could ask for.

I looked at him expectantly. "Do you think we should tell them?" I asked seriously. I think he knew what I was talking about, but he thought it over for a bit. This wasn't exactly news you could throw on just anyone. Some people can't handle the reality of genetic engineering and strange powers and Erasers that want to bite your head off. We couldn't be sure whether we were risking our secret by telling the world's (or at least Maryland's) two biggest gossips. Who knows who they might tell if they don't believe us, or even if they do believe us.

"I think it might be for the best," Fang said finally, agreeing that they should probably understand what is going on, because it didn't really seem fair that we, Mom, Jeb, and Iggy knew, but someone else who has a power doesn't. Plus, Ella was family. She had a right to know what her family has been involved with.

"Does this have to do with that night, last December?" Ella asked, remembering the time when Erasers stormed into our home in search of Fang. Mom and I had fought about her association with Itex, and Ella had heard the whole thing. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she knew something about our past, if not the whole of it.

"A lot of it does—" I was going to say more, but I was cut off.

"Max! Fang!" Mom shouted from downstairs. "If you're ready, I can take you guys now!"

I looked at Fang, questioning whether it was essential to tell Ella and Monique everything right now. He shot me a look that told me that they should know, and the sooner the better, but I really thought we shouldn't keep Mom waiting.

"We'll tell you later," I finally said, although Fang shot me a terse look. What? I said to him in my expression. Did he really think we had to tell them this instant?

He sighed and swept out of the room.

I sighed; this may put a damper on our outing tonight (seriously guys, it's not a date).

"Later," I promised them.

After all, wasn't it like the Voice told me once? There will be people along the way that will help my cause. I just hoped that I chose the right people to trust.

* * *

**I was hoping to add their "outing" in this chapter, but it ran longer than I had anticipated. I promise the next chapter will get to it. The one thing about "Anything But Easy" that's different from "Not So Normal" is that there is a lot of new info that's gonna be crammed down your throats, so I can't make chapters too long. A lot of action will happen, and even FAX along the way like someone mentioned, but be patient. I'm working on these chapters slowly but surely, and I have some twists along the way that you may or may not like, but it's all for the good of the story. And be excited that this one actually came out faster than the last. :P**

**I didn't feel like editing this because I edited two papers earlier today for Writing, so my brain is kind of fried, so if there are mistakes, I blame school.**

**-biteoutoflife-**


	7. Jealousy and Insanity

**Chapter 7 - Jealousy and Insanity**

When Mom dropped us off at the go-cart track, Fang and I looked at each, and in his glance I could tell he was thinking along the same lines as I was. With what we had just figured out about Monique developing powers, maybe it would have been better if we had stayed at home to keep an eye on the situation. I mean, who could guess if they'd have returned to normal and try to use us as real life dolls for their crazy makeover sessions? Then again, maybe Itex has sensors on all their previous experiments with powers and was waiting for Mo's to arise. Now that we're gone, would Erasers attack our house to get to Mo?

Neither Fang or I liked the risk that we were taking by being here, but there was really nothing we could do at the moment. I sighed.

"What?" Fang asked. "If we're going to be here, let's at least try to enjoy ourselves."

What could I say to that?

We paid the admittance for the derby at the front entrance. The cashier gave us instructions to go inside the entrance and wait to be met by a worker who would tell us how to work the cars and give us the rules of track. He gave us our change and two wristbands.

The race track was indoors, a nice, cool location for teenagers to escape the summer heat and let out their crazy wild sides before they were legally able to drive—we couldn't get out permits in Maryland until we were sixteen-and-a-half. There were a group of kids mingling in the lobby, waiting for our instructor to arrive. Large groups of teens talked amongst themselves animatedly, anxiously waiting for their turn to kill their friends on the track. Fang and I stood awkwardly next to each other.

"I wish it weren't so crowded," I mumbled, almost to myself.

Fang raised an eyebrow. "Claustrophobic?"

"I never used to be," I said self-consciously. "Being around people I don't know makes me antsy."

I thought that Fang might have laughed at that statement, but all he said was, "I know what you mean."

I didn't really have time to interpret the words as a girl in a black polo and black short-shorts came strutting out of the track entrance. She had bright red hair pulled back in a ponytail and a small, pixie-like body. Looking over the crowd once, her eyes settled on where Fang and I were standing for a fraction of a second longer than I would have liked.

"Welcome to Racer's Edge, my name is Jasmine, and I'll be your helper throughout the course of the night." Was it just me, or did her eyes keep flicking toward Fang? "Before we let you go out on the track, I want to instruct you on the rules of the road. Absolutely no tailgating or running into someone in front of you. You may bump your neighbor for positioning, but not to push their car off the course. You must follow the flow of traffic. No sudden stops, and if you need a break for any reason, you may pull off to the side where you got into your cart. Failure to follow any of these rules will result in a warning or having you banned from driving for the night."

"They really don't enforce the rules too strictly," I whispered to Fang. "They just tell you that to scare people."

He was watching Jasmine intently.

"Any questions?" she asked at the conclusion of her speech.

"Let's ride!" someone shouted impatiently in the crowd, causing the group to snicker under their breaths.

"Okay, then, you can follow me to the track." She lead the heard of us through a pair of dark double-doors and into a well-lit den that contained a twisted, tire-rimmed track. Along the pit stop, twenty cars were lined up poised and ready to be driven.

We were instructed to get into our cars but not to press anything until we had been told how to harness ourselves to the seat belts properly and were told which pedals did what. Fang got into the cart just in front of mine, and I watched as Jasmine came down the line making sure everyone understood what they were doing. When she got to Fang, a goofy grin spread across her face.

"Are you getting along alright?" she asked sweetly. She bent down to check his seat belt.

"I think I'm good," he said, not paying a lot of attention to her. (Thank God).

"You know where everything is?" she persisted.

I glowered at her and coughed, trying to remind her of what her job was and that it did not involve flirting with Fang. She looked at me just then, as if remembering suddenly, and came over to me.

"I'm sorry, are you two on a date or something?" Did she really have the gall to ask me that? But instead of being pissed, my face flushed.

"No, of course not!" I said, started. "We're just friends."

"Oh." She looked back at Fang, who was looking at the two of us. She didn't even bother to check if I was fastened in properly, but she went by me to the next car.

"Bitch," I muttered under my breath.

Fang smirked, giving me a knowing glance. My cheeks reddened again before I challenged, "What? You don't actually like her, do you?"

"Jealous, much?" I could tell he was taking way too much pleasure from torturing me. I glared at him and sunk lower into my seat. He was going to pay for this on the racing track.

Another female worker along with Jasmine stood posed off the side of the track. "When the light turns green, you can all take off one at a time in the order you're lined up. Watch the lights, and when the red flag is waved, that means that you have ten minutes before closing. Have fun!"

The traffic light was on red, but slowly descended through several bulbs of yellow before finally reaching green. The first cart took off, followed by the ones behind him. By the time I finally got out, Fang has a few seconds head start and I was trying desperately to catch up with him. It was hard with so much congestion on the track, but I could still see him ahead of me.

I tracked him for a while, making sure that he was not expecting me to do anything to him. I maneuvered through the less experienced drivers and trailed Fang with a determination.

On the fifth lap, some idiot rammed me into the tire wall, causing my cart to stall. He sped away cackling while I was trying to withhold a stream of profanities. I tried desperately to restart the cart, but it was a dud after the collision. One of the workers had to help me restart it while Fang was getting away.

I sighed. This night was going to be a total bummer, wasn't it?

When I was finally able to get back on the track, I couldn't tell where Fang was. Since I wasn't allowed to sit on the track and wait for him to come around again, I had to keep going and hope that he would catch up to me or vice versa. I drove slowly, always looking my shoulder to make sure the person coming up behind me wasn't him.

I chugged up a hill, came done in a spiral and ducked under the bridging track above. The path was wide enough so that only two cars could drive side by side, but most people battled for positioning and were not there for the recreation. I recognized some kids from school, but no one I knew personally.

Driving on the track was a freeing experience, but I didn't like the limitations of the road. I always though off-road driving would be more fun, like ATVs in the dessert, or dirt bikes. Or the fun of riding a horse through the countryside.

Just then, someone came flying by me, but not without giving me a nice little bump. Looking back, the person smirked at me. Fang. I grinned evilly and sped up.

I was tailing him pretty good, even though he was trying to shake me off. I thought he knew what my intentions were, seeing as it was pretty obvious on my face that I wanted to ram him. However, the chase was just as fun as the satisfaction of catching up.

We were coming up behind a driver, and I made a move that put me beside Fang. We stared at each other, and to my utter surprise he grinned. One of those rare Fang grins that makes the world stop out of sheer shock that he is able to make such an expression and because it took your breath away. Boy, that kid had a good smile. Not that I'd ever admit it to his face.

That was my opportunity. I had to get him now, just to show him who ruled the track. But when I made my move, Fang looked in front of him and his eyes widened. As I jerked my wheel toward him, he came to a sudden stop, and I saw why—the driver in front of him had slowed down. I still had momentum and ended up ramming the front of his cart and the tail of the person in front of him, causing the three of us to spin out of control.

I jerked in my seat until I finally came to a stop, but for the most part I was unharmed. When we were all stopped, Jasmine and the other worker came running to us.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked, frightened upon recognizing Fang in the crash.

When we all confirmed that we were unharmed, Jasmine eyed me with disgust. "What you did out there was reckless. I don't want you back on the track for the rest of the night."

"What?" Okay, I knew I caused a crash, but was that any reason for her to kick me out? Some kid made my cart stall and yet they hadn't punished him. Why was it my luck to be blamed for this?

Oh, right. Because I was a jealous idiot. That's why.

"Fine," I huffed, and stormed out of the track. I was glad that I didn't have any items with me so that I could maintain my dignity.

When I left the track, I really had no idea what to do. Was I allowed to wait in the lobby? Did I have to sit outside until closing time? I peered out through the window and saw that it was just dusk, and I knew Mom wouldn't expect us to be done already. I didn't want to wait outside, so I took a seat against the wall.

Just as I was going down, I saw a shadow walk by in the distance.

I didn't have time to think about what it was, because just then someone came in through into the lobby from the track.

It was Fang.

I looked up at him questioningly. "Why'd you leave?"

He shrugged. "It didn't seem fair that I would get to ride without you. Besides, we were here together."

I glared at him for his choice of words. Why does he torture me like this? "So? You have that red-haired wonder to keep you company."

He shot me a look.

"Oh, come on! You saw how she was eyeing you."

"Wow, you really are jealous." Fang, to his credit, looked a little shocked, meaning that he was really surprised.

"So what if I am?" I snapped. Realizing how bad that sounded, I added, "I mean, it's not like you needed me to keep you company. You don't need to try to make me happy."

"Max..." his gaze was piercing. I shivered under its severity, suddenly very glad that no one else was in the room with us.

I wanted to ask him a question, but he looked through the window and stared at something seriously.

"What?" I asked.

"Can you call your mom to come get us? I want to see what's outside."

He waked past me swiftly.

"Fang!" I called, but he didn't look back.

I cursed under my breath and pulled out my phone. Did he see what I saw earlier? I stood up and watched him go, wondering what he thought he saw.

"Hello?" Mom asked when she picked up the phone.

"Hi, Mom, I was wondering if you could come pick us up. I think we're done for the night."

"Already? Did you guys have fun, at least?"

Fang was jogging across the road to a line of trees across the street. What the hell was he doing?

"Shit," I muttered away from the phone. I headed for the door and followed Fang as he disappeared in a line of trees. To Mom, I said, "Yeah, it was fun. It just gets kind of old fast, you know."

I heard Mom try to say something, but her reply was filled with static as the woods broke up my signal. I cursed again and stepped onto the side of the road hoping for better reception. "What did you say?" I asked. "The connection was bad."

"I said I'll be there in twenty minutes." She paused and then said, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," I said, almost too quickly. I could imagine Mom's expression in my mind at my response. "I'll see you soon." I hung up before she could say anything else. If she asked why I hung up, I'd say the call got dropped.

I looked around within the woods and realized that I had no idea where Fang was.

"Fang..." I whispered, hoping he hadn't gone too far in. Was that boy asking for a death sentence? Or was he trying to lose me?

I didn't like the quietness of the woods or how alone I was. I actually missed the crowd of the race track because I knew there were witnesses.

Jeez, Max, what was wrong with me? We probably saw a deer or something and got all worked up.

But where was Fang?

My hair suddenly stood on edge, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I spun around, ready to punch the first thing I saw—

Instead, Fang was standing literally six inches away from me. I yelled in shock and my knees gave out from behind me. He scared the crap out of me!

"What is wrong with you?" he said softly, dangerously. "You're not acting like yourself."

Of course I hated it when he was right, but I was getting soft lately. There was something very wrong with me, and I didn't really know how to fix it. The summer was supposed to be rejuvenating, but instead it was the cause of my slow decline into insanity. I needed to get my act together for the start of the school year.

What had become of the tough Max we all knew and loved?

I sighed, and Fang offered a hand. I let him help me get to my feet.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" I asked, almost bitterly.

He looked away. "No. But I didn't like the feeling I got when I saw it."

We headed toward the edge of the woods, back toward the road. Being out here in the dark alone seemed very foolish. I mean, what were we thinking? This is like rule number one on the list of what not to do for personal safety. It's up there with walking in dark alleys at night.

At the line edge of the trees, I spotted an outline of something dark.

We stopped.

The shape approached us with lightning speed, and I felt my muscles tense. It was thin, but tall, not like an Eraser. Hair whipped wildly, and as it got closer I saw a flash of pale skin, sand-colored hair, but I had no idea who or what it was.

Fang took a step in front of me, looking to protect me, only the thing in front of me didn't look like Fang. As a matter of fact, it was large, hairy, and hulking...

The face turned around, looking at me. It was definitely an Eraser, but it had Fang's eyes.

I don't know if it was out of shock, insanity, or if I had low blood sugar, but the ordeal proved too much for me.

I blacked out.

* * *

**So I know I said once during NSN that I would not introduce a Lissa/Brigid type character, but I what I meant by that was that there would be no other romantic interest for Fang. I didn't mean that there wouldn't be people there to make Max jealous. :P I know the ending of this is a little confusing, but it will be explained in a few chapters. All I can say is that, no, Fang is not an Eraser. The rest will be for you to determine. :)**

**With ANGEL coming out soon, I wanted to post this as soon as possible and get your opinion on what you think is going to happen in MR 7. I, unfortunately, will not be able to read the book until Friday the 18th at the earliest. I will actually be going home for midterm break that Friday or Saturday, and I pre-ordered the book online and had it shipped back home instead of here at college so that I could focus on midterms and whatnot. So with me not being able to read it until break, I only have my intuition, ideas, and (spoilers) to look forward to. :P What does everyone think will happen?**

**-biteoutoflife-**


	8. Author's Note: ANGEL

**Author's Note: ANGEL**

**Hey guys, so I promise that a new chapter of this story will be out tonight or tomorrow, depending on when I finish it (but it's mostly a filler-chapter, so don't get too excited). I feel like when I don't read a MR book for a while, it makes me forget how to make the characters, and I think the one's in chapter 8 are particularly OOC (I'll change it if it seems too bad when I reread it). **

**But anyway...the main reason for this Author's Note is to get your thoughts on ANGEL. (If you have not read the book yet and you don't want any spoilers, PLEASE STOP READING!-unless you're like me and you like to find out before you read it.) I just got it yesterday (I'm back home on midterm break), and I finished it about a couple hours ago (because I was trying to savor it and to gather as much information I could). Sooo...to put everything in a nutshell, here were my immediate thoughts:**

~Iggy was awesome in this book. I'm usually not a huge fan of Iggy, but I kind of liked him more than usual.

~I still love jerk-Fang. Seriously. I love how people think that he's so out of character in this book, but I don't think he is at all. He's just as pissed about Max being with Dylan as she is about him being with Maya (which I think they are totally just friends...just saying). I don't think he was doing anything that was un-Fang-like; he's just growing as a character. He's always been pretty unpredictable, but that's what makes Fang awesome.

~Maya was pretty cool, and I think she has more of a reason for being with the Flock or Fang's Gang than Dylan does.

~Does anyone remember when/if Fang got a specific message saying that he had to save the world? I feel like I should know this (it sounds like STWAOES)

~I still think that Angel is evil (I've never liked her since the first book), and what is with her supporting Max being with Dylan?

~If I read any more Mylan, I think I might punch a baby.

~WHEN WILL MAX AND FANG REALIZE THAT THEY'RE BOTH BEING STUPID? Although their arguments in this book were...really funny, actually. I kind of REALLY like them being pissed at each other.

~SOOOOOO much better than TFW, MAX, and FANG

~I actually kind of like Eggy...it's cuter when JP does it instead of Fanfictioners (sorry FF)

~I really liked Total in this one, too, which is odd because I've always hated Total.

~Dylan...well, that boy just needs to go. To me, he seems like the Rebound Guy, stepping in at the right opportunity. Frankly, he's too damn perfect, and he's only really there to comfort her. I doubt I'd trust a boy made by Dr. G-H to _be_ with Max like that. I mean, the dude's probably a part of DG. He's just a really good actor.

**Which then brings us to the more obvious thoughts such as...uh...what the heck is gonna happen in the last book? There is too much that has gone on in the series that still needs to be explained. Here were some of the many (serious or non-serious) questions that still need to be answered that I came up with in, like, five minutes:**

~Will Max end up with Fang, Dylan, or is she flying solo?

~Who captured Angel?

~Where is Ella, Jeb, and Dr. M?

~What is the One Light?

~What happened to Dr. G-H?

~Who is good and who is bad?

~When did Fang's mission come into play?

~Who is the Voice?

~Will we ever meet Nino Pierpont?

~Who really is that computer dude?

~What happened to the other freaks from books one and three?

~What happened to Brigid and the rest of CSM?

~And all the other Itex people, for that matter?

~Really, why can't we just reveal that Angel is evil already?

~Sooo, if Dr. G-H wanted Max and Dylan to be queen and king, and that Mark dude mentioned something about how Max could have lead them, are they all in on the DG?

~Why was the Voice only in ANGEL once, and why was it changing its tune about the Fax/Mylan situation?

~When will Max realize that she can't live without Fang?

~Can anything kill Holden?

~Will Kate and Rachet get together?

~Is Maya Max's twin?

~Will Dylan answer Max as to why he loves her? (I mean seriously, he totally just avoided her question).

~Is the Voice evil?

~Is saving the world something these guys need to be doing?

~Will we meet the rest of the Flock's parents?

~Will Iggy get his eyesight back?

~Will Ella get wings?

~Is the ending of the series going to be like the end of Lost? (As in, no one understands anything that happened.)

~How are we even supposed to answer all these things in one book (unless it's like a thousand pages long)?

**Overall, ANGEL was a LOT better than The Final Warning, MAX, and FANG had been. I really enjoyed the plot line, although reading through Fang-less chapter always leaves me a little depressed (because no one is better than Fang). What were your thoughts on Angel? What questions do you think need to be answered? And maybe, in the future, I'll do an A/N with what I think will happen in the final book. I still need time to think it through (perhaps read through the series again) and maybe create a story about it.**

**Thoughts? Comments? Did you love/hate it? Fax or Mylan? Anything you feel like saying about the book, leave it in the comment box.**

**Hopefully you'll hear again from me tonight or tomorrow!**

**-biteoutoflife-**


	9. Emotions

**Chapter 8 - Emotions**

When I came to, Fang was hovering over me with a worried expression. I was eerily reminded of the incident almost a year ago when I passed out at school because the Voice was trying to find its way into my brain, and Fang had been the one who took me to the office. How little did I realize my life had gone completely upside down since that day.

"Max." He looked relieved once my eyes opened, but his eyes were still hard and cautious. Dark as the forest we were in. I could never read anything from them.

"Wha—?" I wondered. I realized that the grass I was lying on was wet and I could imagine the stains it would leave on my shirt. I lifted my torso and looked at Fang.

"What happened?"

Fang stared at me for a moment, as if deciding what to say. "I...don't really know."

"What do you mean _you don't know_? I was the one that blacked out!" Was he seriously pulling this right now? He was a freaking Eraser! How could he hide that from me?

"It's just...I'm not really sure what happened. That thing was approaching us, and then it disappeared."

"Like, it poofed?" Ha-ha, yes, I know that was a reference to Michael Grant's "Gone" series. Not a bad book, I might add, if you like the whole science-fiction thing.

He nodded. "When I stepped in front of you, it vanished, and when I turned around you were already on the ground." He gave me a look, as if to say, "Hey, loser, what gives with passing out on me...again?"

I thought about what he said. But what happened with the Eraser? Was I just going insane?

"But...the Eraser?" I said softly, really questioning my sanity.

His eyebrows furrowed? "What Eraser?"

_I thought the Eraser was you_, I wanted to say, but I figured that wouldn't exactly sound good from a girl who had just passed out. He might think that I had imagined it. But I knew I didn't. How could I justify something in my mind that didn't even make sense to any sane person?

I really was losing my mind.

"C'mon, let's get back," he said, lifting me up from the ground. He kept an arm around my waist, keeping me steady on my feet. I was grateful for him being here even if my pride didn't like having someone help me. I thought he realized that I was not being myself and that I needed the support tonight.

We waited in the lobby until my mom showed up a few minutes later. I thought I looked well enough that she didn't notice anything wrong with me immediately, but when she saw my dirty clothes she did give me an odd look. Ugh. When would she learn to trust me with Fang?

"Did you guys have fun?" she asked when we were on the road.

"Yeah, it was great," I lied unenthusiastically. Mom heard the sarcasm in my voice and gave me a worried look. I shrugged as if it weren't a big deal.

"She's just mad that I beat her," Fang offered to Mom with a grin.

I glowered at him. Jerk.

Mom seemed to understand that we weren't exactly telling the truth, but she didn't bother us about it. I had a horrible feeling I would be hearing about this later, but I wasn't worried about it too much. It was kind of hard to find evidence that Fang and I were sneaking around and having a relationship behind her back. I mean, if she ever thought that was going on between us, she would probably ship him off to live with Anne Walker. I'd shudder to imagine him with her.

Although, in the back of my mind, I still had an image of him stepping in front of me in the woods. But only it wasn't him. He was an Eraser.

I couldn't help but stare at him in the car. From the front seat, I looked in the passenger-side mirror to see his reflection. He didn't look any different from when we had left. His hair was still pretty straight, black clothes in order. He didn't currently have any scars on him, which had become a frequent appearance from our fights with Erasers in the past. What had I seen? Or rather, what had I thought I'd seen?

_Things are not as they appear, Max._ The Voice. I didn't miss its presence in my mind, to be perfectly honest. The last thing I needed to hold on to any shred of sanity I had left was to not hear it. _Do not trust what the eye sees, but what you know in your mind._

_Yep, because I can totally trust my mind right now_. Seriously, I thought it knew what I was thinking.

Fang noticed my gaze from the mirror and met my eye. Embarrassed at being caught, I looked away quickly.

Trust what I know in my mind...how did this apply to what I had thought I saw?

When we got home, I immediately changed into my pajamas. I was pretty sure I was going to bed early tonight. But before I did that, I really had to talk to Fang. There was no way I was going to sleep until I made some kind of sense of what happened tonight.

As if anticipating my arrival, Fang was sitting on the bed, changed into athletic shorts and a different t-shirt (do I need to mention what color they were? Isn't it pretty obvious?). He had two cans of Coke in his hand and a smirk on his face.

"I thought you could use some sugar in your system, you know, after passing out," he said. I gladly took the excuse to have a soda and gulped it greedily.

"Is it sad that you know me too well?" I laughed slightly, too tired to be embarrassed by anything I said at this point.

He shrugged, although he looked a little smug. "Everyone needs someone to take care of them when they can't take care of themselves."

I thought about that for a second. "Profound."

"I didn't make that up," he said quickly. "Someone made the comment on my blog."

"Who?"

"The reviewer was anonymous."

"Hmmm..." I took another sip. "So who is there to take care of you?"

"I assumed the relationship was mutual." He didn't look ashamed by what he said, although I blushed slightly at his choice of words.

"Well, you _are_ a hard one to understand," I admitted, distracted by his statement. "But I think I'm up for the challenge."

He smirked.

"So, the reason you came down here...?" he hedged, as if he didn't already know.

I sighed. "You know what I said before, in the woods."

"The Eraser?" He raised an eyebrow.

I nodded.

"Max..." he sighed, looking at me seriously. "There weren't any Erasers."

I stared at him dumbly for a moment.

"That thing that was running toward us...I don't know what you saw, but I'm pretty sure it was a teenager."

When I thought about it, I remember seeing a flash of pale skin and sand-colored hair. The shape definitely wasn't the size of an Eraser and it moved way too fast to be hulking.

But that still didn't answer the situation about the Fang-Eraser.

"But I didn't think that the thing approaching us was an Eraser. I thought..." I couldn't say it.

"You know you can tell me anything, Max. We got past this awkwardness last fall."

I snorted at the truth of that statement. "It's just...I don't know if I'm going crazy or not."

He chuckled. "That was debatable from the moment I met you."

"Thanks a lot, you're so kind," I said, although I was laughing, too. Fang had a way of cheering me up like no one else could do. "It's just that I thought that you were the Eraser."

He stared at me, as if processing what I had said.

"I thought that, when you came in front of me, you looked like an Eraser, and it surprised me."

"Well, I'm not an Eraser," he said dully.

"And I know that. But what I saw...it just didn't make any sense. I'm not sure what to think about anything anymore, you know?"

He leaned against the wall, thinking for a while. We didn't speak for a minute, just lost in our thoughts. Finally, I whispered, "I wish life would go back to normal. You know, when life was easy."

He laughed bitterly. "Life is anything but easy, and even if it doesn't make sense now, we've got to make the best of it."

"I just...don't know how to fight it anymore." I sighed, feeling extremely exhausted. "We've gotten through this far somehow, but what happens when the next big blow strikes? What if we can't overcome it? I just don't know how much more I can take...I'm just fifteen."

Fang, instead of saying anything, scooted toward me on the bed and placed is hands on my shoulders. Very carefully, he massaged my back, shoulders, neck. It was very soothing.

"I wish I knew what to say that could make this whole situation disappear," he began cautiously, "but if anyone is suited to handle this, it's you, Max. There's no one I'd rather have by my side than you. We just need to take life a day at a time. And eventually our screwed-up lives will piece themselves together."

It was kind of odd hearing him speak for that long, but it wasn't so outrageously out of character that it left me reeling for two minutes trying to decide what to do about it (seriously, guys, even the silent one can be chatty sometimes—jeez).

"But this is just the _beginning_—" my voice cracked, but I made myself continue after a pause, "we're going to have to find Ari and Jeb, and we need to find out why all these kids are disappearing, and why we're suddenly developing powers, and if—" I would have ranted for a long time if Fang hadn't placed his fingers on my lips.

"Shh," he whispered. "I know the road ahead of us doesn't look good. But if it makes you feel any better, I will always have your back. Always."

I looked into his eyes, questioning his words. His eyes, like always, were as dark as night, hard to read. They never revealed his thoughts, emotions—just two onyx orbs. But I could never doubt him. There was no one I trusted more than Fang. Not even my mother or Ella. The only one who came close was Iggy.

I sighed. I didn't think I had any more emotions in me to lay out for him at this point. He read me too well. And, frankly, I needed to toughen up for the road ahead of us. Besides, school was just around the corner. I couldn't be an emotional wreck at school—I had a reputation to uphold. But when I was with Fang or Iggy, I could actually let down my guard. I shouldn't be making a habit of this.

"Feel better?" he asked.

I nodded stiffly, not meeting his gaze that I felt on my face.

After a moment of silence, Fang wrapped his arms around my waist pulled me into his chest. At first I was stunned, not really sure what to make of the gesture, but then I got comfortable in his warmth, in his arms. It felt nice to have someone to support me through all of this. No one knew what I needed more than he did.

"We're gonna figure this out," he said earnestly.

God, I sure hoped so. I wasn't sure how many more meltdowns I could handle in such a short amount of time.

* * *

**The author's note I posted before merely had some of my thoughts about ANGEL. If you want to read it, you can, but it's not that necessary. If you'd like to share (or rant) your thoughts about the book in my comment box, be my guest. I'd like to hear what you're thinking. (Stupid Marketing class...it almost makes me interested in researching people's opinions).**

**One more thing I wanted to bring up with you guys is a new little insane idea that I'm working on. I'm thinking of putting out a kind of quirky reader-response shin-dig, which is titled "100 Things That Won't Happen in MR 8". It's basically a list of crazy (or completely random) things that will obviously not happen in the final story of Maximum Ride. I did not come up with this idea by myself (my lovely friend Mrs. Alexander Sterling has something like this posted for Vampire Kisses), but I thought it would be funny and would be a nice way to get people involved. Yay? Nay? Think it's cool? Think it's stupid? You can tell me in a review, PM, or this lovely little poll that I posted. I have 10 things already written out, and I'm gonna make the rest responder's input-the funniest ending up on the list. Be sure to tell me what you think!**

**Also, I just enabled anonymous reviews, like, a week ago, so anyone who is reading this randomly and doesn't have an account (which you totally should) can review now. And on a completely random note, I'm offering cookies (and a shout out) to whoever can guess who it was Max and Fang saw in the woods...or why Max thought Fang was an Eraser. Don't worry, young Padawons, all will be revealed in time. :)**

**"If you wanted me to take a shower, all you had to do was pay me ten bucks, like you usually do." ~ Iggy**

**-biteoutoflife-**


	10. Caden Oliver

**Chapter 9 - Caden Oliver**

For the first time in a long time, I could actually say that I was looking forward to the start of school. It would give me something to take my mind off of what had easily been one of the worst summers of my life. I mean, I wasn't looking forward to having first period Geometry with Mr. Howard the Hammer (Yes, that's what we've nicknamed him—he crushes the spirits of students hoping for an A in his class), but I would definitely have more time to hang out with Iggy now (and hopefully not in detentions).

And for the record, I still don't think that the first day of school is a big deal. I haven't changed _that_ much in the span of a year.

On the bus, Fang and I reviewed our schedules one last time. I stared at mine with disgust: _Geometry with Howard, Phys Ed with Roland, American History with Harvey, English with Snow, Lunch, Chemistry with Holden, Study Hall with MacDonald, French II with Ritter, and Digital Photography with Miller_. This year was going to be brutal...even if I don't have crazy scientists or Erasers bothering me.

I looked at Fang hopefully. "You can't change into any of my classes?" I would feel better if we could combine our knowledge (*cough* he could help me *cough*). We didn't have any classes together last year (except for the same gym period, but that didn't really count), but I was still trying to convince him to switch even though we'd known our schedules for several weeks.

He shook his head. "Can't. I took Geometry last year."

"Yeah, and you had Yocum," I noted miserably.

He shrugged.

"What if you took Photography?"

"No, I have Chem that period. And if I took Photography, I would be taken out of Drawing II."

Curse him and his art ability (I mean, have you seen the kid draw before?).

"What about History...?" I began.

"I can't change my schedule," he said, sighing. "Besides, I have Harvey second period. Our homework should be exactly the same."

I wanted to groan. At least there was always hope with Iggy.

A mess of blond curls popped up from the seat in front of us. Wide, clear blue eyes observed us.

I smiled. "Hey, Angel," I said, glad for the sudden distraction.

She grinned back sweetly. "Hi, Max. There's someone I want you to meet." She reached down and suddenly a cute teddy bear was facing me and Fang, with a halo on its head and angel wings sticking out of its back. "This is Celeste."

I grinned at the bear and grabbed its paw, shaking it lightly. "Nice to meet you, Celeste."

Angel beamed at me.

The first stop was Eisenhower Elementary, where Angel and her older brother, Gabe, went to school. We lurched to a sudden stop, making everyone on the bus clutch their seats to keep them from flying into the aisles. When the elementary students were heading toward the front of the bus, Angel loped out into the walkway gracefully and, before heading to the door, took two steps back toward where I sat with Fang. She curled two fingers forward, beckoning me to bend closer.

"Watch out for him," she whispered in my ear. I wondered who she was talking about, but I saw her eyes were directly on Fang.

My face turned bright pink in humiliation. Why did everyone assume that we were together? Even the seven-year-old was suspicious of us!

She winked with a huge grin and waltzed toward the door with perfect grace.

Oh, my God. This was freshman year all over again.

* * *

Chester Nimitz High School had been bittersweet to me over the last year. I mean, sure, its walls were covered in mold and they hadn't repainted the place in over 20 years, but it was where I met Fang and Iggy. And I didn't wind up in detention as much as I had in Middle School. But then again, I suppose I had an extra year to make up for it.

I was extremely grateful that the only thing we did in Geometry today was introduce ourselves to Mr. Howard and he handed out a lovely little syllabus (that was 20 pages long) that outlined every week's lesson plan in case we were not at class for whatever reason, because he expected us to keep up with the work no matter what our excuse was. Iggy was right—this guy was going to eat students. If only I had a way to switch into Yocum's class...

I would have to visit my guidance counselor later.

I went to phys ed, hoping that Mrs. Roland would run us crazy so that we could take our minds off the rest of the day. I was the only girl who didn't care about playing sports in gym; who cared if you got sweaty and your hair got messed up? It was a great outlet.

After changing into my uniform and coming out to the soccer field, I was surprised to see that today's class met at the infamous bleachers by the soccer field (refer to book 1 chapter 5 to see what I'm talking about). Mrs. Roland, with her short pixie cut ruffed up by the visor she was wearing, looked at the group of girls who had bothered to show up for gym with a tired expression.

"For once, I'm giving everyone a day off," she announced first, causing an excited chatter to roll through the crowd. I stared at her in disbelief. "You ladies can head back to the locker room if you want. Anyone who wants to stay can join the guy's gym class and I'll give them extra credit."

I looked out at the boys class, who was gathered under the shade of a tree. I couldn't tell what they were going to do today, but I hoped it was something that involved physical contact.

Most of the girls didn't bother to listen to the rest of her speech. They packed up their purses and headed back inside the building to get changed, grateful that they didn't have to smell bad. I waited for the crowd to disperse before I walked up to Mrs. Roland.

"I want to stay," I said.

She eyed me speculatively before deciding that I was the type who seemed to like physical activity. "Weren't you the one who was hit in the head with a soccer ball the first day last year?"

I winced, but decided that it was better that she remembered me. "Yeah, that's me. Max Ride."

"Um-hmm," she mused, writing something down on the class roster. "Very well, I'll talk to Mr. Harris and he'll decide what to do with you."

Once he was done talking to the boys, Mrs. Roland approached Mr. Harris and and discussed what to do with me away from his class. I was feeling a little fidgety, wanting to run into someone or tackle them. After a minute, Mrs. Roland waved me over and I approached the imposing duo.

"Max," Mr. Harris said testily, eyeing me in a similar fashion as Mrs. Roland had done. "We're just playing soccer today, so I think the guys won't rough you up too badly."

I rolled my eyes. "I can handle myself," I said confidently, flashy them a grin.

He shot me a look that said, "it's your death wish," but he didn't argue any further.

I was placed on the team that was wearing navy, up against the yellow-shirts (those were our school colors, considering we were the Admirals). I approached my team, who sized me up with whistles of excitement.

"Look at her!" one jock said.

"Maybe we should make this a shirts-and-skins game," another guy joined in, "and we'll be the skins!"

The group snickered, and I glared at them. I pretended not to notice as I walked by, but as I passed the two offenders, I jabbed them in the stomach. Both boys clutched at their midsections helplessly.

They made me a forward because they figured that guys would be afraid to hit a girl, so I could maneuver through the defense easily. I liked to play the position in gym because it involved a lot of running. And scoring goals wasn't a bad part of it, either.

We started playing, and after a while of back and forth goals (with me never touching the ball because my teammates never passed it to me despite their logic), I finally got my opportunity. The ball was in our defensive end, and one guy kicked the ball over a mass of heads. I was wandering around midfield, waiting for us to retain possession, and as soon as the ball was cracked, I began running. From all the years on the farm chasing down horses and sheep and various other animals, I had a lot of endurance (although genetically altered genes didn't hurt) and my small frame made me quick. I had a clear path to the ball.

As I felt my legs carry me at lightning speed, I heard someone approach me from behind. I couldn't afford to look, but I couldn't imagine someone as fast as me. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a pretty competitive kid, and losing to a guy did not sit well with me. I gritted my teeth and pushed myself.

I had a clear shot at the goal once I caught up to the ball. All I had to do was poke it past the goalie...

Right when I was about to strike, I got hip checked off the ball and went flying to the grass. The wind was knocked out of me, and I could see a scratch on my forearm from where it hit the ground. Not gonna lie, it burned like hell, but I wasn't going to tip off the guys that I was in discomfort.

The whistle blew and Mr. Harris came running on the field toward me. Before he could help me up, a hand shot out from my left side, and I looked up at a face I didn't recognize.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

At first I didn't want to accept his help, but then I figured he owed me for taking me out from behind. It _had_ to have been him. He had a stalky build, and, although his cheeks were flushed, he didn't seem to be breathing hard at all.

I took it reluctantly.

Mr. Harris escorted me to the sidelines and dressed the burn on my arm, which had started to bleed. As he wiped it with antiseptic, he let out a low whistle.

"That running back there you displayed was impressive," he said, seeming surprised to be admitting it. "Have you ever thought of joining the track team?"

I was caught off guard by his question.

"Umm," I stammered, not really sure if he was offering me to join the squad or not. "I never could play sports after school because I live on a farm and have to help out."

"That's too bad," he said, actually sounding sympathetic. "You had great speed, and we could use a sprinter. I mean, you almost beat Caden, and he transferred here from Grant High so he could be on our team."

I stared at the boy as they were playing. Caden, huh? Well, I'm sure he was an uber jerk just because he was a hot-shot track star.

"Yeah," I said dumbly as he wound a bandage around my arm.

"Well, if you want to think about it at all, the season doesn't start until the spring. And preseason begins in November. It gives you a couple months to decide."

Track, huh? Talk about the ultimate distraction. Playing a sport would really keep my mind off Erasers, although it would also keeps me in shape in case we were attacked again. It seemed like a win-win to me.

"I'll talk to my mom about it," I told Mr. Harris, "but no promises."

He smiled. "We'd love to have you, so try to butter up your mother."

* * *

After lunch, I had my first class of chemistry. I was sitting at a lab table, waiting for the teacher to come in, when Iggy suddenly burst through the door with a goofy grin on his face.

My day perked up. "Hey, I thought we didn't have any classes together," I said as he took a seat next to me.

He shrugged. "I had to switch my schedule a bit. Did you know chemistry is my favorite subject?" The look on his face was wicked and excited. If he started rubbing his hands together and laughing like a maniac, I wouldn't have been surprised.

I could only wonder why he loved chemistry. "As long as you're my lab partner for the year, then we're golden."

He beamed.

Just as Mr. Holden stepped in the classroom, another body shifted in behind him before he could close the door. I immediately recognized the student as Caden, the one who had hit me at gym. He had a clean, strong face with shaggy, light brown hair and hazel eyes. Despite his stalky build, he seemed like he was a couple inches shorter than me. He took a seat in the front row as the teacher began.

Once Mr. Holden was done introducing us to the course, he stood behind the computer on his desk and pulled up some file that we couldn't see.

"Each of you will have a specific lab partner for the year, and you will be required to sit by that person for every class and work with them every lab unless they're absent."

I looked at Iggy excitedly, knowing I would gladly pick him as my partner in crime.

"Before you get too carried away, there is a strong chance that your partner will not be your friend. I already preselected partners, based on random chance. If by the end of the semester everyone is behaving themselves appropriately—" Iggy whistled and looked around innocently, causing me to quietly shake with laughter, "—I may allow you to pick your partners for the second semester.

"Now, for the list," he began, looking at his computer screen. "Caitlyn Jones will be with...Jeremy Washington."

The proposed pair looked a little worried to be with each other. Jeremy stood up and forced Caitlyn's neighbor to move so they could sit together.

"Lacey Williams will be with...Brayden Overman."

Lacey smiled at Brayden coyly as she sauntered over to his lab table.

"Rachel Carpenter will be with...James Griffith."

_Shit_, I said mentally. I really wanted to be his partner.

Iggy cast me a sympathetic look before moving over to Rachel.

"Amanda Haverly will be with...Cody Fitzpatrick."

I had to sit through a few more listings before he finally got to my name. With sickening awareness, I realized that Caden hadn't been given a partner yet, either.

"Maxine Ride—"

"Max," I corrected him.

He smiled. "Okay then, Max, you're partner will be Caden Oliver."

My heart sank. Really? I had to pass up Iggy for Caden. That _would_ happen to me.

Caden came to my lab table, and I tried to make it clear on my face that I was not happy with the choice. He didn't really seem to notice his dissatisfaction.

"Sorry about gym," he said in a flat voice. He didn't quite sound apologetic, but he didn't sound condescending, either.

"It's fine," I replied. "I'm a tough girl."

I thought I'd get a smile out of him, but his expression was blank. Dang...I thought Fang was a rock. Caden was giving him a run for his money.

"I'm Max," I said.

"Caden."

He hardly seemed to notice me the rest of class, which was fine by me. As long as he wasn't some 100-year-old vampire that was in love with the smell of my blood, I could handle it.

The bell finally rang, and I was anxious to get to study hall so I could relax.

"Before you leave, you should get the contact information of your partner so that you can reach each other in case you ever need to meet," Mr. Holden said.

Caden turned toward me. "I'll need your address, just in case we ever have to finish an assignment outside of class."

I was taken aback. "Can we swap? My place isn't always best for getting work done. A lot of action happens."

"You can't come to my place," he said, not even appearing to think it over.

_Well okay then_, I thought. _Maybe I should say the same thing._ "At least give me your phone number."

He did provide me with that piece of information, and I was surprised to see that it was from out of the area. But then it struck me...he transferred here. He probably didn't even live in the area and didn't want to make it an inconvenience for me. That still didn't give him a right to be rude...

This was going to be a long semester.

* * *

**I need to give cookies to Heart of Diamond for being the most creative. I liked the Pollyjuice idea a lot. Although no one guessed correctly, I kind of wanted it that way, too. But I promise you that it is someone who has been in the books. This chapter came quickly because I was in a writing mood today, so I cranked out this long chapter. :P**

**Like I mentioned in the last chapter, I had the idea of starting this crazy list called "100 Things That Won't Happen in MR 8". It's very random, supposedly funny, and I need viewer input for future additions to the list (because I really only have so much funny within me). Because of some confusion, I thought I'd post some examples of the complete randomness of it:**

**~Fang cries...and wears white**

**~Ella performs a strip tease at a show in Vegas.**

**~Nudge becomes a national recording artists and produces 500 albums that go gold over the span of three months.**

**Just so you guys have some idea of what it's like. It's not a story, just a funny list. Like the idea? Love the idea? Tell me in a review or on the poll on my profile!**

**And (because I am a shameless advertiser), I want to ask anyone who hasn't read "Ghost of Me" to please do. There is only one more chapter left, and it's a fairly short story compared to these stories. Try it if you have the time!**

**-biteoutoflife-**


End file.
